Separable fastener



July 3, 1928. 1,675,998

R. F. WALTERS SEPARABLE FASTENER ori inal Filed July 24, 1924 R0330 F WaZi/e 2 s.

Z yMMWNM- Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROLLO F. WALTERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T CARR FASTENER COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SEPABABLE FASTENER.

Original application filed July 24, 1924, Serial No. 727,960. Divided and this application filed February 28,

1925. Serial No. 11,704.

This invention aims to provide an improved separable fastener particularly, though not exclusively, useful in connection with upholstery installations.

The application is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 727,960, filed July Reference is also made to a division of this application, Serial No. 281,181, filed May 28, 1928.

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments ,of my invention Figure 1 is an elevation view of a door of an automobile showing the frame and the stud-receiving a ertures therein;

Fig. 2 is an e evation view of the backing of an upholstered part, showingithe studs secured thereto;

Fig. 3 is a section through the door frame and upholstered part, showing the stud partly in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the upholstered part as viewed from that side thereof at which the stud heads are presented;

Fig. 5 is an elevation view of the preferred form of shiftable stud;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fi 7 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 6, showing a modified form of stud unit secured to the upholstered part; i

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the modified form of stud unit; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the modified form of stud unit, as viewed from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the form of my invention, as illustrated in Fi s. 1 through 6, I have shown an automciaile door, an upholstered part for covering the inside of the door and separablefastener means for securing the upholstered part to the door.

Heretofore the fastener elements have been rigidly secured to the frame of the door and to the upholstered part and some difficulty has been encountered in registering the fastener elements on the upholstered part with the fastener elementson the door frame. To remedy this difficulty, I have rovided, as illustrate a plurality of shi able studs located on one of the parts for engagement casing or attaching plate 3, and their with rigid socket means on the other part, thereby permitting perfect alignment of any of the studs with their cooperating sockets. Thus the upholstered part may be secured to the door without difficulty and the edges of the upholstered part may be roperly lined up with the edges of the cor.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, I have shown an upholstered part which includes a backing 1 of relatively stifl' material such as cardboard or the like, con stituting a form which is provided with a plurality of holes 2 adjacent the edges there of, and a plurality of shiftable studs cooperating with the holes 2. These studs are secured to the front face of the backing-by a eads are presented, through the holes 2, at the opposite face thereof for cooperation with the stud-receiving means on the part to be upholstered.

In the form of my invention illustrated, by Figs. 1 through 6 each stud is provided with an attaching plate, herein serving as a base loosely carrying the stud to permit shifting of the stud without corresponding shifting of the base. Two types of attaching plates are shown, each providing ortions overlying and underlying the Base flange of the stud.

Each stud is assembled with its attaching plate 3 at the factory thereby to rovide a stud unit which may be easily, quickly and arcuately secured in the proper relation to a hole 2 in the backing of the uphol' .red part, by the use of proper dies for regist with the aperture and for holding the stu attaching plate. The stud and attaching plate, I term collectively a stud unit.

The socket-engaging part of the stud unit is pressed from a single sheet of metal and is provided with a base flange 4, a shank portion 5, a head 6 and a neck 7 between the head and shank portion. The head, neck and shank portions are rendered resiliently contractible by a plurality of slots, herein shown as three,which preferably, as illustrated, extend to or slightly into the base of the stud.

- In the form of m invention shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, t e attaching cas' or p ate 3, wh ch is pressed from a single set of metal, presents a smooth bottom, an upstanding peripheral wall 8, a plurality of stud-retaining pron s 9 and attaching prongs 10 extending rom the wall 8.

The stud may be assembled with the attaching plate by lacing the base portion 4 of the stud into t e recess provided by the upstanding wall 8 and then bending inwardly the stud-retaining prongs 9 until they overlie the base of the stud, thereby holding the stud and attaching plate in assembled relation even prior to assembly with the backing, as best shown in Fi 6.

As illustrated, the diameter of the base portion 4 of the stud is less than the diameter of the attaching plate and the short prongs 9 do not extend to the shank portion 5 of the stud, thus permitting free lateral movement of the stud in any direction relative to the attaching plate.

Assembly of a stud with the backing 1 is effected preferably by dies (not shown) which align the attaching plate 3 with a hole in the backing and force the attaching prongs 10 through the backing, where they are upset against the opposite face thereof, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The holes in the backing are somewhat larger in diameter than the diameters of the shanks of the studs, thereby permitting sufficient free movement of the studs in any lateral direction relative to the backing to compensate for variation in the exact positioning of the stud-receiving apertures in the door or other part to be covered by the upholstery installation.

The advantages of securing the stud to the front face of the backing instead of the back face are, firstly, that for the same projection beyond the face 'of the installation, a shank portion 5 of considerably greater length may be used, thereby affording an opportunity for greater resiliency of the head of the stud, and, secondly, that the strain exerted on the stud when it is separated from the socket to which it is secured, is taken by a considerable area of the backing and not by the prongs, as when the studs are secured to the back face of the backing. The smooth bottoms of the studs, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, promote smoothness of the covering 11 in the completed upholstery installation and permit the studs to be pressed into engagement with their sockets without injury to the covering 11, which conceals the studs from view.

When the studs are all secured to the backmg 1, a padding 12 is placed over the backing to improve the appearance of the edge of the upholstered part and to provide a surface which is generally in line with the bottoms of the stud-attaching bases. Thus the covering 11 of cloth, leather or the like is stretched smoothly and evenly over the outer face ofthe backing and its edges are secured to the inner face of the backing, thereby providing a neat upholstered finish covering the outer face of the backing.

The door 13, to which the upholstered part is secured, may be, as illustrated, formed of sheet metal and preferably presents at the inner face thereof, adjacent the periphery, a metal frame 14 having a plurality of studreceiving a ertures 15 punched or drilled therethrougi for reception of the heads of the studs located on the upholstered part.

The upholstered part may be applied to the door by pressing the heads 6 of the studs into the stud-receiving apertures, thereby holding the upholstered part tightly against the frame of the door.

If any stud does not register with its cooperating aperture in the frame, the stud may be shifted, by the use of a suitable tool inserted between the frame and the upholstered part, until it is in proper position to be pressed into engagement with its cooperating aperture. Thus adjustability of the positions of the studs is particularly important where the sheet metal door covering and the flanges providing the frame 14 are integral, the flanges bent over after the holes therein are punched. In such case, because of unequal stretching of the metal, the studreceiving apertures are exceedingly likely to be slightly out of their desired positions. However, the capability of the studs to shift is desirable, even when the door frame or other carrying part is drilled in a jig, and the backing punched in a similar jig. Where the upholstered part is used as a covering for something other than a door, and particularly where it is used with a heavily padded covering, the shiftability of the studs becomes even more essential.

Referring now to the form of my invention, illustrated in Figs. 7 through 9, I have shown a fastener unit including a stud substantially as shown and described in com nection with the embodiment of my invention by Figs. 1 through 6.

The attaching part 17 in this instance, has its body seated against the backing, the body apertured to permit passage of the stud therethrough, while providing substantial clearance to permit lateral shifting of the stud. The metal surrounding the aperture is thrown up to provide a tubular rivet 18 which may be clenched against the opposite face of the backing. The rivet may or may not be of a character to punch its own hole in the backing, but preferably fits the hole relatively closely so that the backing is strongly reinforced. as by a grommet.

The stud is held in assembly with the stud-attaching part by having the base thereof seat against a flange of the attaching part which extends inwardly from one edge of the wall 19, the base of the stud being overlain at the other side by stud-retaining means herein shown as ears or prongs 20 which extend inwardly from the other edge of the wall 19. In the preferred embodi ment shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the prongs 20 roject from an upstanding peripheral wal surrounding the body of the attaching part 17, the edge of this wall, in conjunction with the padding 12 contributing to the smooth appearance of the covering 11, where it overlies the attaching part 17.

The prongs 20, bent over the base of the stud, prevent separation of the stud from the attaching plate during shipment, and before the covering 11 is applied to the upholstered part. They also take a part of the strain when the stud is being pressed into its studreceivin aperture.

Attac ment of the upholstered part, having the form of stud units, shown by Figs. 7

through 9 with the frame is effected in the same manner as described in relation to the form of my invention shown by Figs. 1 through 6.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection with application of an upholstered part to the door of an automobile, it should be understood that upholstery may be applied in a similar manner to other surfaces w ere a neatly finished upholstered part is required. The illustrations of my invention and the description thereof are merely for clarification and not for limitation, my invention being best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fastener unit comprising, in combination, an attaching part, means integral with said attaching part for securing it to a suitable support and a laterally shiftable sna fastener part loosely assembled with sai attaching part, said snap fastener part being shiftable to a limited extent in any direction transverse to the axis of said casing.

2. A fastener unit com rising, in combi' nation, a casing part, a s iftabie snap fastener part assembled with said casing part, said snap fastener part being freely shiftable in any lateral direction relative to said casing part and attaching means extending from one face of said casing part in a direction generally parallel with the axis thereof for securing said fastener unit to a support.

3. A stud unit including a socket-engaging stud part, an attaching part having means for securing said stud unit to a support, means forming part of the stud unit r holding said socket-engaging stud part in assembled relation with said attaching part and means oooperatin between the socket-engaging stud part an the attaching part to permit free shifting of the socketengaging stud part in any lateral direction relative to said attachin art.

4. A shiftable stud unit including a casing part having means integral therewith for securing the casing to a support and a" stud part having a base portion of smaller diameter than the diameter of the casing part assembled within said casin part, said stud base being freely shiftable 1n any transverse direction relative to the casing part.

5. A stud unit including a laterally shiftable stud part, an attaching part formed from a single piece of metal and having integral means for securin said stud unit to a support and means fornnng part of said unit for retaining said parts in assembled relation while permitting shifting movement of said stud part in any lateral direction relative to said attaching part.

6. A shiftable stud unit including a casing part, a socket-engaging part assembled with said casing part, means forming part of the stud unit and permitting said socketengaging part to be freely shiftable in any transverse direction relative to said casing part and attaching means extending outwardly from said casing part in the same direction as said socket-engaging part for securing said casing part in a fixed relation with a suitable support while the socket-em gaging art may be adjusted laterally relative to t e support.

7. A shiftable stud unit including a casing part having a rivet portion extending from one face thereof to secure said casing part to a suitable support and a laterally shiftable stud part assembled with said casing part so as to be movable in any transverse direction relative to said casing part and the support.

8. A fastener unit comprising, in combi nation, a casing part having a peripheral wall, a flange portion extending inwardly from one edge of said peripheral wall, a tubular rivet portion extending outwardly from said flange portion, a cooperating stud having a base portion located in the space provided by said peripheral wall and having one face thereof bearing against said flange portion and means extending from the other edge of 'said peripheral wall par allel with said flan e portion, said means extending over the ot er face of said stud base to hold said stud in assembly with said casing, said base portion being smaller in diameter than the s ace enclosed by said peripheral wall and t ereby being shiftable in any lateral direction in said casing part, said stud havin a head, neck and shank pressed from said ase and extending through said tubular rivet portion.

9. A stud unit comprising, in combination, a casing part and a stud part, said stud part having a head, a neck and a base, said casin part having spaced means extendlng over both faces of said stud base to hold the stud part and the casin part in assembled relation, means provide by the stud unit to permit shifting of the stud part in any lateral direction to the casing part and attaching means extending from the casing part to secure the stud unit to a suitable support.

10. A stud unit including a casing having a peripheral wall, a flange extending inwardly from said wall, a laterally shiftable stud having a base seated against said flange and a head and neck passing through an opening in said flange, the opening being of larger diameter than said stud head, said base being smaller in diameter than the space enclosed by said peripheral wall, means forming part of the stud unit for securing it to a support and means extending inwardly from said peripheral wall over the opposite side of the base of the stud for holding it in assembl with said casing. the space between the e ge of the base of the stud and. the inner face of the peripheral wall of the casing being of sufiicient dimensions to permit free transverse shifting of the base of the stud in all directions relative to the casing.

11. A fastener unit comprising, in combination, a casing part having a peripheral wall, a flange portion extending inwardly from one edge of said peripheral wall, a tubular rivet portion extending outwardly from said flange portion, a cooperating stud having a base portion located in the space enclosed by said peripheral wall, said base portion having one face thereof bearing against said flange portion, means extending from the other edge of said peripheral wall parallel with said flange portion, said means extending over the other face of said stud base portion to hold said stud in assembly with said casing part, and a head and neck portion of said stud extending through said tubular rivet portion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROLLO F. WALTERS.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. l, 675, 998.

Granted July 3, [928, to

ROLLO F. WALTERS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 103, strike out the words "casing or" and insert the same before the word "attaching" in the same line; page 3, lines 42 and 43, claim 1, strike out the word "casing" and insert instead "attaching part"; page 4, line 7, claim 10, after the word "said" insert the word "peripheral"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of August, A. D. 1928.

M. J. Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

lateral direction to the casing part and attaching means extending from the casing part to secure the stud unit to a suitable support.

10. A stud unit including a casing having a peripheral wall, a flange extending inwardly from said wall, a laterally shiftable stud having a base seated against said flange and a head and neck passing through an opening in said flange, the opening being of larger diameter than said stud head, said base being smaller in diameter than the space enclosed by said peripheral wall, means forming part of the stud unit for securing it to a support and means extending inwardly from said peripheral wall over the opposite side of the base of the stud for holding it in assembl with said casing. the space between the e ge of the base of the stud and. the inner face of the peripheral wall of the casing being of sufiicient dimensions to permit free transverse shifting of the base of the stud in all directions relative to the casing.

11. A fastener unit comprising, in combination, a casing part having a peripheral wall, a flange portion extending inwardly from one edge of said peripheral wall, a tubular rivet portion extending outwardly from said flange portion, a cooperating stud having a base portion located in the space enclosed by said peripheral wall, said base portion having one face thereof bearing against said flange portion, means extending from the other edge of said peripheral wall parallel with said flange portion, said means extending over the other face of said stud base portion to hold said stud in assembly with said casing part, and a head and neck portion of said stud extending through said tubular rivet portion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROLLO F. WALTERS.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. l, 675, 998.

Granted July 3, [928, to

ROLLO F. WALTERS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 103, strike out the words "casing or" and insert the same before the word "attaching" in the same line; page 3, lines 42 and 43, claim 1, strike out the word "casing" and insert instead "attaching part"; page 4, line 7, claim 10, after the word "said" insert the word "peripheral"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of August, A. D. 1928.

M. J. Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

